Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule—and both commonly succeed, and are right.
H. L. MENCKEN
H. L. MENCKEN
H. L. Mencken on democracy
H. L. Mencken76 quotes“Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule—and both commonly succeed, and are right.”
More from H. L. Mencken
It is even harder for the average ape to believe that he has descended from man.
H. L. MenckenH. L. Mencken Misogynist: A man who hates women as much as women hate one another.
H. L. MenckenH. L. Mencken Equality before the law is probably forever unattainable. It is a noble ideal, but it can never be realized, for what men value in this world is not rights but privileges.
H. L. MenckenH. L. Mencken On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.
H. L. MenckenH. L. Mencken Laws are no longer made by a rational process of public discussion; they are made by a process of blackmail and intimidation, and they are executed in the same manner
H. L. MenckenH. L. Mencken Morality is doing what is right, no matter what you are told. Religion is doing what you are told, no matter what is right.
H. L. MenckenH. L. Mencken The best teacher is not the one who knows most but the one who is most capable of reducing knowledge to that simple compound of the obvious and wonderful.
H. L. MenckenH. L. Mencken An idealist is one who, on noticing that roses smell better than a cabbage, concludes that it will also make better soup.
H. L. MenckenH. L. Mencken You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.
H. L. MenckenH. L. Mencken If a politician found he had cannibals among his constituents, he would promise them missionaries for dinner.
H. L. MenckenH. L. Mencken There are two impossibilities in life: “just one drink” and “an honest politician.”
H. L. MenckenH. L. Mencken People do not expect to find chastity in a whorehouse. Why, then, do they expect to find honesty and humanity in government, a congeries of institutions whose modus operandi consists of lying, cheating, stealing, and if need be, murdering those who resist?
H. L. MenckenH. L. Mencken Always remember this: If you don’t attend the funerals of your friends, they will certainly not attend yours.
H. L. MenckenH. L. Mencken The one permanent emotion of the inferior man is fear – fear of the unknown, the complex, the inexplicable. What he wants above everything else is safety.
H. L. MenckenH. L. Mencken On one issue, at least, men and women agree. They both distrust women.
H. L. MenckenH. L. Mencken A sense of humor always withers in the presence of the messianic delusion, like justice and the truth in front of patriotic passion.
H. L. MenckenH. L. Mencken
Original quotes
From our community writers
They bleed not in the mouth but through their ink – indelible and dark.
Juana GarciaJuana Garcia I would rather shoot my arrows than keep them in my bow, I would rather risk it all than risk nothing at all.
ShamaShama I wish I knew then all of the things I know now that I am enough.
TMCTMC I feel like I’m on fire, fighting for a moment on respite – I’m not placing bets.
M.K. StandbyM.K. Standby I found him in all the chaos, and that was when my world started making sense again.
MoomerMoomer The judgement that people cast on you for how you do or do not appear is nothing more than just a projection of their own wounds.
Taj AroraTaj Arora Be grateful for what you have now, even if it’s not everything you wanted.
Sonia SabnisSonia Sabnis It seems strange how we look in the same mirror, yet what stares back, is so painfully different.
Chris AllchinChris Allchin
More on democracy
This is our democracy. And we’re not about to let anybody take that away.
Kamala HarrisKamala Harris Political democracy cannot last unless there lies at the base of it social democracy.
B. R. AmbedkarB. R. Ambedkar When it comes to this pandemic – and the economic recovery – we are not Democrats or Republicans. We are Americans, and we will be there for one another.
Kamala HarrisKamala Harris Democracy is not merely a form of Government. It is essentially an attitude of respect and reverence towards fellowmen.
B. R. AmbedkarB. R. Ambedkar Democracy is not compatible with financial oligarchy.
Che GuevaraChe Guevara We need an economy that works for all, not just the 1%.
Bernie SandersBernie Sanders Democracy in India is only a top-dressing on an Indian soil which is essentially undemocratic.
B. R. AmbedkarB. R. Ambedkar Democracy is not a form of government, but a form of social organisation.
B. R. AmbedkarB. R. Ambedkar
Keep exploring
More Journalists